The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-03-23
MORE TESTIMONY.
The Railroad commissioner Inves-
tigation Of the Roslindale Acct
dent Continued.

BosToN, March 22.-The investigation in
to the causes of the recent Roslindale acci
dent was resumed this morning by the Rail
road Commissioners The hearing was op
ened at 1O.45 O'Clock, there being a much
smaller attendance than on Monday, owing
doubtless to the severe storm.
The first witness called was Elias T. Bo.
thrope of Dedham, who was in the third cal
of the wrecked train. He testified that the
first intimation he had Of trouble was the
bounding of the car over the sleepers, which
continued until the final crash when the car
stopped; he noticed nothing else in the way
of a shock, and thought the humping began
about at the Dedham end of the bridge
when the car stopped he helped some ladies
out and then went down the bank and
helped people from the cars in the road; he
thought it was the fourth car he helped peo-
pie from, for it looked as though it had fall
en- first and the others gone on top of it; he
helped out two ladies and man. and got out
two dead bodies.
Charles A. Harrington of West Roxbury
teStlned that he was in the rear end of the
third car; the first he knew the front wheels
OF the car were off the rails to the left aud
ine rear wheels to the right, and were bump
ing along the sleepers; this was about one
third the way across the bridge; then in a
very lew seconds the rear end of the car
seemed 10 sink so that the passengers in the
front end were six feet higher than we
were; then there came crash right under
US snat seemed to tear out part of the floor,
anu Ihen the car dropped on the bank be-
yonu. L think the forward end of the car
got onto the bank, and the crash under US
was Wnen the rear end struck the abutment
ana was pulled up onto it; don't think we
were gong at any more than the usual rate
Oh speed; helped put out fire in third car
lhat mad started on the floor from Goals tina
dropped through the ash door; saw Conduc-
tOr lllden laying on the bank not far away
from the abutment; he was breathing but
was unconscious.
Mr.. Julius Myer of Roslindale testified
that he was in the second car in the front
seat; he felt the humping over the ties, then
q SHOCK that threw him back into his seat.
from which he had arisen, and then shoot
track. ~
Mr.. Frank w. Williams Of West Roxburv
testified that he was in the second car and
knew Wnen he got on to the bridge by the
SOUND; the shock was very sudden as if the
traln mad run against a stone wall and
stopped suddenly.
n Master asst Mechanic Richards, recalled, testi-
ned that the rail on the easterly side of the
Track overlapping from the bridge to the
boston aDutment was torn from its chair
ana carried forward between the second and
nrst cars 1t was this rail that gave the
heaVy blow to the forward truck of the sec
ing the shock described by witnesses. There
was nothing else found in the wreck that
could give such blow. 1t was car "a that
nad the cane seats. Car 81 was the fourth
car, and had its roof thrown on to the abut-
nent, lne Doay 1ell back and was crushed
Sy 81. car o. which, with car 80 rode over car
Mr. Richards here examined the pieces of
the broken bridge hangers which were taken
by the Engineering News, and subsequently
Iseurhe9 I,s the commissioners, and said that
tne welding was imperfectly done as was
shown by the fracture. He thought it would
De dlfhcult to tell whether the breaks were
new or old in the YIELDS because they were
aDraded ana rusted since the breaking. In
response to questions Mr.. Richards then out
ilned MS present theory Of the accident.
based on future examination of the broken
ran after his attention had been called to it.
My theory is this, he said: The engine
broke the rail some distance from the abut-
ment; the tender passed the break all right,
put turned the end Of the broken rail some
what so that the trucks of the first car were
divided and bent the rail up; the forward
truck OF the second car caught in the end of
the rail, causing the shock that swept the
forward truck to the rear, checking that car
so that the third car telescoped it, and by the
same shock breaking the bridge and causing
its fall
Continuing, Mr.. Richards said that the
end OF the rail had evidently shattered the
forward brakebeam on the forward truck Of
the second car and then struck the axle,
gouglng piece out of it as it turned; the
rail was then torn from its spikes BY catch
ing In the trucks and was carried along to
where it was found; in his opinion the blow
on the axle was sufficient to have caused all
the damage and derailment but as that blow
swept the track sidewise the force of the
DloW might be so spent when the first truck
struck the second that the latter could have
carried truck, rail and all along with it,
AT this point the hearing was adjourned
until Friday at 1890 a. m. in order to allow
OF the examination at their homes of several
of the seriously wounded who we're in the
fourth and fifth cars.